There’s a lot to know about the Arizona Diamondbacks as the club heads to the second World Series in franchise history. So you don’t get rattled, we’re offering a Q-and-A about the team, split into two parts. Today, we’ll discuss the players.
Many heads to these snakes
QUESTION: Who are these guys, and why haven’t I heard of any of them?
ANSWER: They’re the best team in the National League, and they’ve got a chance to prove they’re the best team in the world.
I’m sure you’ve heard of Corbin Carroll, the rookie who was in MVP conversations for the first half of the season. The kid was voted to start the All-Star Game in his hometown of Seattle. He can play anywhere in the outfield, and he’s got this signature batting stance where he wags the barrel of the bat behind his body, like a snake waiting to strike.
Kids will be imitating Carroll for the next 20 years if he keeps playing like has this season.
Q: Tell me more about Carroll. What makes him so special?
A: Well, first of all, he’s a superhero. That’s why he’s got alliterative initials, like Peter Parker, Reed Richards and Bruce Banner.
Aside from that, he’s the first rookie ever to hit 25 home runs and steal 50 bases. He also led the league with 10 triples.
Q: Is he the team’s best player?
A: That depends on which day you’re asking. The Diamondbacks had four all-stars, and it could have been five. Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and pitcher Zac Gallen all made the mid-summer classic. Gallen was the starting pitcher.
Q: You said it could have been five?
A: Yep. Pitcher Merrill Kelly got robbed.
Q: Who’s he?
A: He’s the guy living the dream of any Little Leaguer in Phoenix. Kelly grew up here. He went to high school in Scottsdale (Desert Mountain), played junior college ball in Prescott (Yavapai College) and then played at Arizona State.
He’s a 34-year-old workhorse who’s good for close to 200 innings and 30 starts every year.
Kelly is one of those never-quit guys who didn’t make it to the majors until he was 30 after playing in South Korea for a few seasons.
He’s got legitimate command of a half dozen pitches, and a fastball that gets into the mid-90s.
(And since manager Torey Lovullo usually takes him out early, Kelly’s arm should be pretty fresh.)
Q: Wow. Maybe they are pretty good?
A: Yep. Plus, first baseman Christian Walker, catcher Gabriel Moreno and center fielder Alek Thomas are all Gold Glove finalists.
Walker is a power hitter who’s done everything except make fans forget about Paul Goldschmidt. Goldy is Goldy, but when Walker is putting up 30 home runs and playing like Gumby at first base, it’s easier to move on.
Moreno is a young catcher who’s as rare as baseball spikes on a rattlesnake. He’s a great backstop who can hit for average. Moreno flirted with .300 in the regular season and the playoffs. He’s also got timely pop in his bat, as he’s shown with three postseason home runs.
Thomas, in his second season, patrols the outfield like a free safety, which makes sense because he grew up playing football. He’s always had all the tools, but now he seems to have discovered the mechanics to make himself into a dangerous hitter.
Q: Are ALL of these guys young?
A: No. Just most of them. Tommy Pham and Evan Longoria provide the veteran presence for the hitters. Pham even helped Thomas make a late-season adjustment to his swing that’s really paying off.
Longoria was the catalyst for this whole run after some amazing plays in the field up in Milwaukee.
Then there’s Walker and Ketel Marte, the only two guys left from the 2017 playoff team.
We talked about Walker earlier, but we shouldn’t overlook Marte.
On any given day, he’s the best player in the National League. He’s got a record-setting playoff hit streak going, and he was second in the league with nine triples. He hits the ball hard, and he hits ’em where they ain’t, especially with runners on base.
Marte won the NLCS MVP, and I wouldn’t expect him to slow down in the World Series.
Q: Do any of these guys have any personality?
A: What is this, a beauty pageant? Gurriel has purple hair. Is that good enough for you?
Anyway, forget individual personality.
This TEAM has a personality.
They never quit. When they give up a run, and they go get it back. They run and steal. They turn double plays and patrol the field so well that the only safe place for opponents to hit the ball is into the stands. All in all, there’s an aggressive joy in their game that can be a lot of fun to watch.
And while Marte and Carroll are as good as anybody, you just never know which one of these guys is going to step up and be a hero on any given night.
It’s hard to cut the head off this team of snakes, because there’s just no telling where it is.
Plus, there are so many guys in their mid-20s, that they party like a college fraternity after every series win. (Usually with milk and cookies, though. I’m only half-joking here, these guys are so young that most of them probably still think beer smells funny.)
Is that enough personality for you?
Part 1: The Diamondbacks aren’t in the World Series without Hazen, Lovullo
Q: What about the pitchers?
A: The staff has a good sheen, which is appropriate because Lovullo only starts Two and a Half Men.
Gallen is the ace. Kelly pushes him for that spot. Rookie Brandon Pfaadt pitches three or four innings. And the team uses an “opener” concept with a guy like Joe Mantiply going out for an inning or two before handing off to a shutdown bullpen that has a little bit of everything, righties, lefties, side-armers and a closer in Paul Sewald, who brags about only throwing two pitches, neither of which are very fast.
Q: C’mon, they don’t really have a chance to win this do they? They don’t even deserve to be here.
A: I’ve heard this a bunch, and it’s always baffling to me. What does “deserve” mean in a sport that has a final score? Did they look great all season? No. They were awful after the All-Star break. But did they win enough games to qualify for the postseason? Yes.
And then, once they got in, they took out three great teams in the Brewers, Dodgers and Phillies, going into hostile territory each time to get it done.
In sports, a team is what its record says it is. The DBacks record says this is a playoff team.
Their postseason record says they’re the best team in the NL, and they’ve got a chance to prove they’re the best team in the world. Who cares what anyone thinks they deserve? Let’s instead pay attention to what they’ve earned.
Yes, they have a chance to win the World Series, and they’re one of only two teams in baseball that can say that.
Reach Moore at [email protected] or 602-444-2236
David Rodriguez brings the excitement of Major League Baseball to readers. With a deep appreciation for America’s pastime, he covers the latest MLB news, scores, and player achievements, keeping fans up to date with their favorite teams and players.
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